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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · bass · net · saw · cabinet · arm

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — after costs
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — low music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com